N&O: Wolfpackers patience with TOB vindicated

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The N&O has an appropriate article this morning: Year 4 turns into a big one for O’Brien

“Year 4, this is where you want to be,” O’Brien said. “We’re fighting for a conference title. We have the opportunity to be a special football team in the lore of N.C. State history, not only in wins in the ACC but in total number of wins. That’s where you want to be.”

A year ago, N.C. State’s program was in disarray. Injuries had scuttled whatever momentum the Wolfpack gained from a bowl appearance a year earlier, most notably the car accident that kept star linebacker Nate Irving out for the entire season, and the Wolfpack hit a low point when it was savaged by Wake Forest and Duke in back-to-back losses.

By the end of the year, offensive coordinator Dana Bible was in a hospital bed fighting leukemia, and O’Brien had suffered his third losing season in three years at N.C. State.

It wasn’t exactly what anyone envisioned when O’Brien arrived from Boston College, where he took the Eagles to eight straight bowl games. There were plenty of vocal N.C. State fans who expected to see more progress by Year 3.

They got it in Year 4. N.C. State already has won eight games, the most since 2003, and could get to nine for the first time since 1994 with a win at Maryland on Saturday – not to mention earning a trip to the championship game in Charlotte.

“We haven’t taken any shortcuts,” O’Brien said. “It’s been a long, hard slog. But having gone through it … that’s where your commitment to the plan comes into play.”

[snip]

Through it all, O’Brien insisted last year’s team was improving, even if the youth on defense made that nearly impossible to discern on the field at times.

“We’re about a year and a half into the defense, and we’re trying to recruit and get lined up and get the people in the right [positions] and understand all the nuances of it,” O’Brien said last October. “We’ll fight through this thing.”

If you had the pleasure of listening to any of Jeff’s radio appearances on the Taylor Zarzour show over the summer (back before the Carolina media mafia circled the wagons against SFN), then you heard Jeff consistently hold the line on his position regarding the unparalleled number of injuries within the NC State football program over the last few years — without over-doing the injury bug as an excuse or justification for losing, Jeff felt it was impossible to truly judge TOB’s performance and the program’s evolution with so many injuries. It appears he was right.

As a tangible example, @PackPride tweeted just yesterday that “NC State is 17-7 w/ Nate Irving in starting lineup during his career. The Wolfpack is 7-17 without him. Players matter.”

I would also like to highlight the support that Wolfpackers have continued to provide the program as evidenced by their continued optimism. In addition to continued sellouts in Carter-Finley through all of these years, check out the results below from one of our most popular polls we’ve run at SFN before this season started. Despite all of the hurdles, one of the toughest schedules in major college football, and the expectation that our defense was going to be awful this season…a large majority of Wolfpackers still had the faith in Coach O’Brien that the program would turn a corner this season.

NC State has not had five consecutive losing football seasons since 1956. Will the Wolfpack finish the 2010 season with a winning record?

  • Yes (59%, 1,061 Votes)
  • No (41%, 741 Votes)

Total Voters: 1,802

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37 Responses to N&O: Wolfpackers patience with TOB vindicated

  1. packalum44 11/23/2010 at 2:08 PM #

    I’m not worried about the “Big Game” this Saturday. I think you could have me coaching out there and we win this game. The players are amped up beyond control. Our O-Line is going to toss Maryland around like rag dolls. Our D-Line is going to body slam Danny O’Brien. Nate Irving is going to eat babies before the game for protein. I’m just sad many of ya’ll won’t be there to witness history 🙂

  2. wolfonthehill 11/23/2010 at 2:09 PM #

    The Big One is the ACC Championship. Not a mid-season game that makes it possible to remain in contention for the title game. Not a rivalry game over a mediocre and depleted squad.

    Not being negative here – but let’s keep things in perspective – The Big One is a championship of some sort. If that weren’t the measuring stick, Herb would be still be here today.

  3. ppack3 11/23/2010 at 2:25 PM #

    ^ Amen

  4. Statefan1998 11/23/2010 at 2:27 PM #

    Carolina fans new excuse “we did not have all our starters.”

  5. mafpack 11/23/2010 at 2:32 PM #

    ^^ Hah, and my response is what it always is when people fail to take responsibility for their own actions, “And whose fault is that?”

  6. BJD95 11/23/2010 at 2:56 PM #

    I believe in reasonable timelines and sticking to them. I am glad that TOB had the Year Four breakout that I originally predicted. Even if the road was a bit bumpy along the way.

    I fully expect a win this Saturday, which would make a solid year into a very good one. Then, I am cautiously optimistic about winning the title game, which would elevate it to a great season, certainly the best since at least the 1970s.

    This is what I wanted when TOB was hired – a couple of real shots at a title (with at least one trophy in hand). I have no illusion that he will build some kind of dynasty. He won’t be here 10 years from now, maybe not five (he has no desire to be a Bowden or Paterno in typical retirement years). But he can damn sure give us something to be proud of while he is around. And NC State will be better for the time he spent here.

  7. Statefan1998 11/23/2010 at 3:08 PM #

    ^If we get to that point, the job becomes attractive.

  8. 61Packer 11/23/2010 at 3:25 PM #

    For those who wonder, YES! I do believe State will win Saturday and will win big. That 37-0 home loss to Maryland several years ago is still the hardest TOB loss for me to figure out. But I don’t see that happening again.

    If I were Tech, I’d be rooting like crazy for Maryland this Saturday. They do NOT want to face us again this season.

  9. MrPlywood 11/23/2010 at 4:46 PM #

    re: winning the “big one”

    To achieve any goal in sports you’re going to have to get past a series of “big” games or matches or contests while you climb the ladder. The FSU game was absolutely a big game in that context, so was the UNC game, and so is the Maryland game. Any game with a “win or go home” subtext is a big game. The goal of program building is to achieve those steps on a more regular basis so that the games that were once daunting become less so, and the larger goals become reality.

    The comparison with Mickelson doesn’t hold water – he absolutely could not win a “big” one – a major. Then he did. And then what happened? He won three more, because he had crossed that bridge and the task became less daunting. His focus changed from “can I win one?” to “how many can I win?”

    Hopefully for State football (and basketball) the scenario will go from “can we win a conference title” to “let’s win another one this year”…

  10. coach13 11/23/2010 at 5:52 PM #

    I hope like hell we win Saturday. I already have tickets to Charlotte!!!

    I wouldn’t want anything to be simple for State. When TOB took over I anticipated a losing season year one, close to .500 year 2, getting over .500 year three and the 8+ win range by year 4. We didn’t get a gradual improvement like that on paper in wins and losses, so I guess that’s why alot of us were getting worried headed into this year. THAT SAID, he is where I think he should be in year 4 with 8 wins secured.

    The fact he has a shot at the title in year 4 is just icing to my 4-year-ago expectations. Now I expect him to get to that championship this year (obviously as I bought tickets). Funny ho expectations are always evolving.

  11. ppack3 11/23/2010 at 8:57 PM #

    Mr. Plywood, I think that we are making the same point (re: Mickelson). You’re always the one who couldn’t win the big one, until you win it. Then your just a Champion.

  12. blpack 11/23/2010 at 9:42 PM #

    I think we will go to Maryland and play well. We pull away in the second half. We are just one step away from reaching the door. Then we have to knock it down. It will be tough, but I think we are up to the challenge. Go Pack!

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